Erotic Imagery
by Neisha
Summary: Curiosity is almost never a good thing... especially when it involves Miroku's off-limits journal.


Erotic Imagery

Summary: Curiosity is almost never a good thing... especially when it involves Miroku's off-limits journal.

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He knew he shouldn't have looked at it. He knew, given the owner, that it would- at the very least- scar his mind beyond all repair. But boredom had taken its toll, sending the hanyou in search of _anything_ that might soothe the underlying tension. But what he'd found in the seemingly innocent pages was anything but.

Restlessness had found them, and while thankful for the break in fighting, they had each fallen into their own pre-Naraku habits. Kagome buried herself in the _school _junk she was constantly worrying over. Sango polished her weapons repeatedly; he could nearly see his reflection on each gleaming surface! The kit busied himself with spells between snacks, his mouth too full of pocky to allow the boy to complain.

Then there was the monk, which brought him back to his current predicament.

Miroku had asked Kagome once about the 'books' she carried with her. Kagome had gone to great lengths describing their many uses in her era, including something she referred to as a 'journal'. Miroku had expressed such an interest in said journal that Kagome had brought one for him as a gift.

Miroku devoted _his_ attention to said journal during their down time. He kept it fiercely guarded; _no one _was permitted to read its contents. They were his 'private' thoughts, he'd said, thus prompting the wave of curiosity that had lead Inuyasha into said predicament. Miroku shared _everything_, nothing was off limits... except his journal. He took it everywhere, hidden in the folds of his robe- until tonight. Miroku got up from his spot beside the fire, brush in hand, mumbling something about ink, leaving his journal unguarded... .

Inuyasha watched Miroku head toward the river, his gaze shifting silently to those remaining within their small camp. Kagome was still buried in her reading, Shippo curled up beside her. Sango had settled down beside Kirara, eyes closed to his curiosity.

Moving cautiously, Inuyasha scooted, inch by inch, toward the object that had remained forbidden for so long. Another quick peek toward the river verified that the monk was still out of range. Flicking an impatient claw, the edge caught the book's cover, flipping the pages open. Kagome was still teaching him to read, but what met Inuyasha's eyes from the pristine white pages required no reading whatsoever.

Pictures were drawn on the pages, all visual proof of the monk's skill. Some were sketches of battles, others full of laughter, but each was true to the character depicted on its surface.

Another flick of his claw and the next page was revealed, but what he saw had him choking on his breath. His face heated unnaturally at the image the graced the page: a dark haired woman danced beside a fire, her clothing rumpled and open... but it was the placement of her hands that held Inuyasha's fascination.

The image was erotic; the fingers of the woman's left hand pinched a pert, shaded nipple, the fingers of her right delving deep between her perfectly sketched thighs. Her head was thrown back and it was impossible the ascertain to which of their women the picture paid homage to. But the graphics were enticing, deliciously so, and Inuyasha found his mind delving down paths best left untraveled.

The voice that found him a moment later sounded amused; Inuyasha was too enthralled to care. Normally an unexpected presence catching him unawares would have left the intruder dead on his feet, but now, Inuyasha's mind was too caught up with the drawing to react as most circumstances might have dictated. They were safe, his nose guaranteed that; the only scents present belonged to the members of his pack.

"Beautiful, isn't she."

Inuyasha's tongue felt heavy, his heart frozen in place by both the erotic scene on the page before him and the horrific embarrassment that battled for dominance of his body.

"You've seen... " Inuyasha managed to mumble.

Miroku chuckled. Moving to sit beside the hanyou, the monk stared wistfully at the page. "No... I wish I had, though. This is just the imaginings of a perverse mind in love with the beauty a female body possesses."

"Who... ?"

Inuyasha couldn't say the rest, didn't want confirmation that this drawing was of Kagome. But he didn't want the image of Sango burned into his eyes either. _Who is she?_

"Who do _you_ see?" the monk questioned. When no answer presented itself, Miroku sighed. It was to much to hope that the hanyou would confess his long-buried feelings for Kagome. Anyone with eyes and half a brain could see that Inuyasha cared deeply for her.

But then, who was he kidding, anyway? He had yet to confess his own feelings to Sango, and had intentionally left the face of the woman hidden. The woman in his drawing was indeed the taijia, or at least, his version of her, but his heart refused to put Sango's face on the page should someone else happen upon it.

Kagome's body type was very much the same, from the color of her hair to the soft curves that beckoned the eyes and Miroku found himself unwilling to take _her_ image away from the hanyou. He was fairly certain that it was Kagome the half demon saw in his drawing.

Instead he chose to answer, "She is whoever _you_ see, Inuyasha."

"Keh, whatever..."

Inuyasha stood, his face flushed with the heat of embarrassment, his movements slow as he made his way toward the woman _he'd_ placed in the picture.

_"Kagome..." _

Miroku smiled to himself as he watched the demon make himself comfortable near the miko, his yellow eyes caressing her sleeping face. There was so much love held in that gaze and Miroku couldn't help but wonder if his drawing had been the first of its kind that the hanyou had ever seen.

He'd have to leave the journal out more often, if only to see that look on the hanyou's face again. Who knew... perhaps one day Kagome would see it as well.

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A/N: This oneshot was written for LJ's prompt Wave and was posted to their site about a half hour ago.

About Deserted... I've decided that posting smaller chapters would be easier given my unforgiving schedual right now... and so I shall post a piece for it shortly. I do hope this is okay with every one. I figured it's worth a shot... right? Please let me know what you think? I miss hearing from everyone!

*hugs*

Neisha


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